Safeguarding American Veteran Empowerment Act; prohibited practices; penalties. Creates the Safeguarding American Veteran Empowerment Act to regulate the practices of persons seeking to receive compensation for preparing, presenting, prosecuting, advising, consulting, or assisting any individual regarding any veterans' benefits matter, as defined in the bill. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. This bill is identical to HB 398.
Clean energy and community flood preparedness; market-based trading program. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality and the State Air Pollution Control Board to establish and maintain a market-based trading program consistent with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative program, as defined in existing law, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generating units in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to HB 397.
Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund established; voluntary contributions; report. Establishes the Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund to provide grants for projects that conserve or enhance wildlife corridors prioritized by the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan and associated wildlife crossing infrastructure projects. The Director of the Department of Wildlife Resources shall administer the Fund in collaboration with the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Forestry, and the Department of Transportation. The Director of the Department of Wildlife Resources shall submit a report to the General Assembly by November 1 of each odd-numbered year concerning the amount of public and private funding received by the Fund, the awarding of grants from the Fund, and the progress of funded projects, including data on the use of project infrastructure by wildlife. The bill also provides mechanisms for individuals to make voluntary contributions to the Fund through a Department of Motor Vehicles electronic transaction and an individual income tax return.
Severe Maternal Morbidity Surveillance and Review Program established; duties; report. Creates the Severe Maternal Morbidity Surveillance and Review Program (SMM Program) to identify, analyze, and review instances of severe maternal morbidity. The bill directs the Department of Health to develop a reporting system for hospitals and freestanding birthing centers to report findings and recommendations, as well as a model protocol for conducting reviews of severe maternal morbidity. The bill requires all hospitals and freestanding birthing centers to participate in the SMM Program and report their findings and recommendations to the Department of Health on an annual basis. The bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2026.
Local departments of social services; payment of reasonable funeral expenses. Permits the State Board of Social Services to promulgate regulations allowing local departments of social services to pay the reasonable funeral expenses of a decedent who was a recipient of social services or Supplemental Security Income.
School nurses; sickle cell disease training. Directs local school divisions to require school nurses to complete, within six months of employment and at least every three years thereafter, an online or in-person course of instruction approved by the Board in collaboration with the Department of Health regarding recognition and management of sickle cell disease. This bill is identical to SB 822.
High school athletic coaches; sickle cell trait guidance and resources. Directs the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue a Superintendent's memo no later than the start of the 2026–2027 school year containing guidance and resources for public high school athletic coaches on risks and strategies for student-athletes with sickle cell trait.
Limitations on enforcement of judgments; docketing of general district court judgments in the circuit court. Provides that, for judgments entered in the general district court on or after July 1, 2026, where enforcement of such judgments is sought by a debt buyer, the docketing of an abstract of such judgment in the circuit court shall not effect the 10-year limitation period to enforce such judgment. Under current law, such docketing allows a general district court judgment to be treated as a judgment entered by the circuit court and may be extended in the same manner as a judgment entered by the circuit court.
Civil and criminal actions; service of subpoena for certain electronic records. Provides that, in addition to methods for how service of process may be effected on certain corporations, any subpoena issued pursuant to a civil or criminal proceeding for electronic records, electronically stored information, or other documents or records that are stored outside of the Commonwealth by a nonparty commercial enterprise may be served within or outside of the Commonwealth by hand, certified mail, commercial delivery service, facsimile, or electronic means.
Election of certain governing bodies; single-member districts required. Requires every locality with a population of 400,000 or greater to elect the members of its governing body from single-member districts.
Law-enforcement civilian oversight bodies; closed meetings; disclosure of certain law-enforcement records. Provides an exemption to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to allow closed meetings for discussion or consideration by any law-enforcement civilian oversight body established pursuant to general law or established by a local governing body before July 1, 2020, and operating in a manner consistent with such law of the criminal investigative files, audit findings, and deliberations regarding police operations related to a specific complaint before the body involving any violation or attempted violation of certain offenses. The bill allows inspection of certain law-enforcement records concerning juveniles by such civilian oversight bodies when required to perform their duties and by any independent policing auditor, manager, director, or other person appointed by the local governing body to support such civilian oversight body. Finally, the bill allows disclosure of certain information regarding crimes involving sexual assault, sexual abuse, or family abuse to such civilian oversight body and independent policing auditor, manager, director, or other person appointed by the local governing body.
Appointment of administrator; property damage claims. Allows for the appointment of an administrator in any case in which it is represented that a civil action for property damage arising within the Commonwealth is contemplated against or on behalf of the estate or the beneficiaries of the estate of a resident or nonresident of the Commonwealth who has died within or outside the Commonwealth. Under current law, such appointments are limited to civil actions for personal injury and wrongful death. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
